X-ray Laser Animated Fly-through

Take a tour with an electron's-eye-view through SLAC's revolutionary new X-ray laser facility with this 5 1/2 minute animation. See how the X-ray pulses are generated using the world's longest linear accelerator along with unique arrays of machinery specially designed for this one-of-a-kind tool.
For more than 40 years, SLAC's two-mile-long linear accelerator (or linac) linac has produced high-energy electrons for cutting-edge physics experiments. Now, SLAC's linac has entered a new phase of its career with the creation of the Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS).
More info on LCLS here: "bit.ly/goDC5l"
LCLS produces pulses of X-rays more than a billion times brighter than the most powerful existing sources, the so-called synchrotron sources which are also based on large electron accelerators.
The ultrafast X-ray pulses are used much like flashes from a high-speed strobe light, enabling scientists to take stop-motion pictures of atoms and molecules in motion, shedding light on the fundamental processes of chemistry, technology, and life itself.

[@ninorpereira]

That's a wonderful animation, and technically correct too. The animation should be much better known than it is: I didn't see it when I was participating in an experiment there last year.It is a nice way to tell your spouse what you are doing there, and why.

[@SLAC]

Thanks for your note! This animation was completed in 2009, so it's been bouncing around for a few years. Feel free to spread the link around and help us get the word out!

[@SLAC]

@MrNothing101: The X-rays we create are most suitable for studying matter at the atomic scale because the wavelength of the X-rays is comparable in size to atoms and molecules (in the Angstrom range). But also, we do use other forms of electromagnetic radiation, including UV light and terahertz pulses created as a byproduct of operating the laser.

[@gsbmindfulness]

Awesome. Such a cool thing even now, many years later. Great engineering.

[@vkorchnoifan]

I would like to know the benefits of this public fund project of some scientists. What do you hope to achieve and what are the benefits for the public who funds these projects?

[@SLAC]

@brillopad86 Thanks for the kudos! Our colleague Greg is a talented animator (and voiceover artist, as it turns out... that's him on the soundtrack as well).

[@8BitNaptime]

Sounds like he liked The Crystal Method

[@thomasclifford3436]

i know this video is quite old, but i am wondering how the energy of the electron is close to 12billion eV. While I am just a high school student and really inexperienced with this, i am wondering how this was calculated (just tried it with e=mc^2, but with the mass of an electron (~9.11x10^-31 and 1eV equal to 1.602x10^-19 it comes out to only give me around 8.199x10^-14 J or ~511800 eV) fantastic video, really helped with my project

[@sujaltripathi3830]

U got ur answer ????

[@Jargblabla]

Can't the high speed electrons be used to generate energy instead of being discarded?

[@ruby_gleyzes]

Great job!

[@deo-nis]

It could be very handy for my research. :) I want that !!!

[@brillopad86]

Nice animation :)

[@ColaCoca700]

Is this what people call a "free electron laser"?

[@DariusTheTenth]

There are too many chemical reactions around us (who live a typical life) to be tracked by human beings. In my opinion, we need augmented reality glasses and (for even better result) cyborgization techs (sensors and computers connect to our nervous system) to allow us fully percieve these effects.

[@fritzmon44]

I know one of the physicists that helped develop this

[@jlo13800]

It makes high frequency waves in the aether that carry a lot of longitudinal energy.